The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-02
FIRES ON SHIPB0ARD.
THE CARGOES OF THE REsoLUTE
AND DESSOUG IN FLAMES.

Six Firemen and the Chief Suffocated
in the HoldLThe Engineer of the
Dessoug Badly Burned-A Mysteri-
Gus Explosion Fires the Dessoug's
Cargo-The Origin of the Resolute's
Fire Unknown.
The British steamer Resolute has been
living at Dixon & Murphy's wharf for the
last two days taking coal, and she has been
working night and day to get the coal
aboard, so she could put TO sea. She was
cleared with 5, 25S bales of cotton on Thurs
day for Liverpool. Yesterday morning,
about O'Clock, the tally-keeper discovered
smoke issuing from the forward
hatchwav. He Immediately notified
Capt. Reavley, and sent messenger
to engine house No. l to obtain assistance
Meanwhile the matches were torn of and All
hands were put to work throwing water
into the hold. Engine No. responded
promptly and began pumping stream of
water into the vessel. Chief Fernandez ar
rived. and seeing that he would have hard
fire to fight. ne sent to headquarters for No.
8, the new engine, and also for No. :.
No. 8 came down, but could not take water
from the plug because the three plugs were
SO near together and the main
so small that only one engine
can work them at a time. The wharves,
too, were so old that he did not dare trust
an engine on them, 50 he had to detach the
horses and back the engine through Dixon
& Murphy's ward and on TO their wharf. In
doing this the smokestack Of the engine
struck beam and was bent forward. No.
8 was soon placed in position, however, and
No. 9 was placed near it, both taking water
from the river ana pouring II into the vessel
as rapidly as they could. The tremen went
below to be as near to the fire as possible,
but the smoke was 50 thick that they
could only remain below for a min
ute or two, and in trying to handle a
pipe there Chief Fernandez and six of them
were suffocated John Gay, of No. 3;
Foreman Cullom, No. 8; Peter Wakefield,
No. 3: Morris Sullivan, No. 3; Hugh Lor-
tian, No. /. and Dick Nugel, No. l were all
overcome, but all recovered soon except
John Gay, who was in a critical condition
last night He was taken to his home on
West Broad and Harris streets. 1t was the
work of several hours to put out the fire,
and at O'Clock last night the engines were
still playing upon her The cotton has
swelled. and it viii be an exceedingly diff
cult matter TO get it out. 1t will all he I'M
loaded. and the vessel will take on a new
cargo. The cotton was fully covered by in
surance in foreign companies. No damage
of consequence was done to the vessel as
she is built OF iron.
THE DEssoUG's BLAZE.
The firemen were at work on the ResOlute
at about II o'clock, when the steamer Des-
soug, of the Ocean Steamship COmpany's
Philadelphia line, came up the river with
smoke issuing from her after hatchway.
She went up to her wharf, and an alarm of
fire was turned in. The Victor responded,
and Chief Fernandez ordered No. from the
ResOute.
A hole had been cut in her deck and the
matches torn away, and the two engines and
the tug Cambria worked steadily, flooding
her. The smoke was so dense that no one
could get below, so the engines simply
poured IN their water where the smoke was
tnickest, and about o'clock the fire was
extingulshed. Capt Howes and Chief Fer
nandez then went below and found the
cargo blown in every direction. The cap
tai said that while the ship was off Frying
Pan shoals yesterday afternoon, an explo-
sion occurred aft. George Cogdin was Oil
ing the shaft in the after hold, and
he was badly burned about the
face and neck Manuel Kost and Charles
Schiller, two firemen were Knocked down
Schiller was not hurt, but Kost's right leg
was badly bruised. Cogdin was sent to St
Josaph's Infrmary, and at midnight his
condition was pronounced dangerous. The
explosion blew the cargo in every direction.
The scene in the hold was one Of complete de
struction. Heavy boxes OF goods were blown
against the ships side and broken to splin-
tiers, and it is a marvel that the side of the
vessel was not blown out. All hands were
at work last night pumping her out and
this morning she will be lowed
TO Kelly's wharf, where she will
discharge. The origin of both fires is
q complete mystery. There was nothing in
the Resolute, that was known of, to set fire
10 the cotton, and the Dessoug was not
known TO have any explosive aboard. The
Captain says that it must have been packed
in box and shipped as harmless material.